Migration report

[oilguy]

Been in NE Montana last 2 weeks. Blizzard hit on morning of 29th. Swans moved through on 28th and 29th. Very light duck migration. Yesterday everything was frozen up and white. Massive goose migration observed. Some flocks approximately 3 Miles long. Moderate duck movement observed. Today, high temp was 14 and it's currently 8 at 7:30PM. No birds observed today, It's over here for another year. Will check Devils Lake area on way home and give update. Brrrrrrrr

[Bryce]

Just home from a Halloween party. One of the participants is originally from Winnipeg. Said he talked to his parents and it is cold, white and frozen up there. Grab your socks and drop your ##### boys. There's going to be some shootin' to be had if they decide to migrate this way. Good luck to all.

[Guest]

We just returned from North Dakota. On Friday 10/31, there were lots of ducks and geese moving into the larger refuges. The Sakakawea and Devils Lake areas were both filling up with Snows and we saw lots of Bluebills on Devils Lake on the way home. There were quite a few Mallards on the open water North of Devils Lake. It's freezing pretty fast, so it's probably going to boil down to big water only in a few days.

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The Early Bird-Jeff Sundin
Early Bird Fishing Guide Service
Phone: 218-246-2375
North-Central Minnesota
Lakes Country
E-mail: [email protected]

[bmc]

I'm seeing a steady migration today, mainly geese, but even some swans. That only means one thing, if you can find open water hit it ASAP, or put the dekes away and dream till next fall. Big White Oak Lake just south of me is locked in ice this AM. There were a couple hundred geese and a couple hundred mallards keeping it open last night, but it's getting hunted as we speak, so they probably won't be back tonite.
The first half of season was way better than the second half for my crew. It seems funny my 6 month old lab made her first retrieve Sept. 30 on the lake and she broke ice to get to the hen ringbill. Then the warm up with not alot of birds and now the freeze up. Oh well, time to hit the bow and rifle hunting hard and get the spearing and ice fishing gear ready.

bmc

[Borch]

Things were happening fast today in the St. Cloud area. Lots of divers. Small flocks and large ones too. Mostly ringnecks and buffleheads. Also lots of snows. Not many mallards seen today.

Had a huge flock of snows fly over tonight that we could hear in the house. Low and noisey!

Son and I filled out on divers and a couple of greenwing teal this morning.

Hunting should be very good as long as you can find open water.

I'm tempted to call in tommorrow at work to at least hit the early morning flight.

[This message has been edited by Borch (edited 11-02-2003).]

[Guest]

Not too much going on in Willmar area this weekend.
Yes, there are a lot more birds than there has been, but that is not saying much. A lot less birds on Sunday than on Saturday...a LOT less.

Everything seems to be about 2 weeks behind. Lots of gadwall and widgeon around, which should be typical of the 3rd week in Oct for Mud Lake, not Nov 1.

Hardly any mallards around so to speak, and just starting to see some ringbills...also behind schedule.

If the lakes stay open and if not too many more fields get tilled under, next weekend should be better yet. I'm thinking that there will be some ice busting going on, but it should continue to improve as far as bird numbers.

Don't let the swan flocks discourage ya...saw some 2 weeks ago...and that certainly did not mean it was near the end.

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[email protected]
N.P.A.A. # 841
www.marcum.com

[Bogsucker]

We hunted pool 5 on saturday and shot 4 greenwings, 1 widgeon and 2 mallards. Saw lots of divers moving between open areas. Very few mallards or other puddle ducks to be seen.

[Bushwacker]

We were out by Strasburg, ND and hit the snow geese migration perfectly this weekend. Have never seen anything like it. That is how a pheasant hunt turns into a goose hunt. There had to be 1 million plus birds constantly flying. We shot 22 on Saturday with snow and sleet going on and shot 5 Sunday with the high skys. First time I have ever shot at a snow goose and it was a blast. Truely amazing numbers!

[Guest]

I've never seen the skies so filled with ducks like this before. I hunted central Otter Tail County. The migration started Thursday evening. I hunted Friday morning the skies were filled with ducks, lots of divers. Nothing wanted in as they were migrating.

Saturday same thing, skies black in the morning. Lots of ducks, but this time they wanted into my frozen slough. More mallards around. My spread was frozen too, but I got lots of shooting and some mallards. Way too many Hooded Mergansers too. Ugghh.

Sunday, biglakeba$$ and I headed out to an area lake and pounded the ducks. We got mallards, redheads, ringbills, a GW Teal and even a hen woodie that decoyed to middle of the diver spread and wouldn't leave. Mallard galore.

Still waiting for a bluebill this year. I haven't seen many that I can confirm. I'll be searching them out next week if we don't freeze out.

As another guy I talked to said "if you didn't shoot ducks this weekend you better find a different hobby"

[This message has been edited by CD (edited 11-03-2003).]

[Lowe]

Saw big rafts of bluebills in a lake just west of Duluth this morning. There were chunks of ice washing up on shore and we're expecting 5-10 inches of snow by tomorrow so it won't be long before they head south.

Went out yesterday AM and was pleasantly surprised by the numbers of new birds in the area. Divers and mallards, most flying high but some looking to set down. The morning started out good with my first two shots dropping two mallards. Then some late-risers set up around me and - I am not exaggerating - proceded to shoot at any duck within 100 yards. What a bummer. Had several nice big flocks set their wings for my spread only to have those freakin skybusters open up on them and scare them away. I thought those kind of guys didn't hunt this late in the year.

[BRYSTER]

HUNTING IN THE ALBERT LEA AREA. JUST STARTED TO SEE NORTHERN BIRDS COME INTO THE AREA. SHOT SOME RINGNECKS AND BUFFLEHEAD. SOME WOOD DUCKS ARE STILL LINGERING AROUND. MANY GEESE IN THE AREA, SOME WITH FEWER FEATHERS THAN THEY USED TO HAVE AFTER WE DID THE SHOOT AND RELEASE ON THEM. THERE IS GETTING TO BE FEWER HUNTERS OUT SO THE HUNTING IS GETTING BETTER. IS ANYBODY SEEING CANVASBACKS YET?
GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE!

[Flipnripem]

Bryster, you been hunting south of town? Have you heard anything on walnut? I live in Austin and am planning on making the trek out west. Probably the Fairmont area. We haven`t had to many new mallards come into town this week, but we are expecting them soon. Flip

[Guest]

Sounds like I'm gonna be a few days late this year!!

By next weekend, with the snow and cold, stuff might be locked up here. Maybe the larger lakes will be open, we'll see.

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>"////=<
[email protected]
N.P.A.A. # 841
www.marcum.com

[Ray Esboldt]

I hear you, Tom. You should have never took a full-time job. Heck, none of us should have.

[Borch]

I plan on cutting out of work early this afternoon to get in what will likely be my last duck hunt. I haven't hunted ducks in a snow storm in years. With deer hunting around the corner and lakes starting to ice up it's unlikely I'll make it out for the big migration.

Although it was pretty good this past weekend. And I'll take what I can get!

[CornPirateKiller]

Was out in the goose pits north of Rochester over the weekend. The Northern birds that aren't yet savvy to decoys were all over. What a blast! We killed a pile of big honkers both days. Hard to miss when they're trying to land on you!

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Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati

[LABS4ME]

Just got back from So. Dak. Lots of birds moving around in HUGE mobs. Tough to decoy them when they are moving in groups of 200-1000. We did get plenty of birds but were limited to singles and doubles that would work the spread. Freezing up fast out there. 60% of the sloughs were frozen when we left Sunday night. Even the big ones. Birds observed moving South Sat & Sun. Good Luck...this should still be a good week Ken

[loosegoose]

Flipnripem,
If you haven't seen the hords of mallards yet down there they should be on their way shortly. They are thick now in west central mn.

[Guest]

Where at in West-Central? Just wondering if there around the Willmar area yet.

Hope the high winds tomorrow will open up what freezes tonight!

[BRYSTER]

Flipnripem
I personally have not hunted walnut this year, but a friend of mine went out ther two weeks ago and didn't shoot anything which doesn't mean much because of the amount of birds that have moved into the area just recently. I mainly hunt the bigger waters around here, such as pickerel, geneva, freeborn, state line. The last couple of days there have been a lot of mallards in the fields. Good luck over west.

[EW6]

Tom Herman?
What are the lakes doing at home...I am at Morris at school and was wondering if the lakes around spicer are going to be open in the coming weekends so I can get in some diver shooting before it is all done...
Here in Morris the geese and Mallards are thick where there is open water. Filled on mallards on Tuesday morning in no time and there were thousands in every field around us. We had flocks of up to 100 birds just locking up to be in our 10 yard square hole of open water. Now all the small ponds are frozen solid and the only water left is big sloughs and lakes, or where the birds have kept the water open because they are so thick, gotta love that. Good luck to all of those that are still out there,
Eric

[Flipnripem]

Bryster, I made it to Walnut today for a few hours. There were a few hundred mallards, a nice flock of cans, some ringbills, and a lone green winger. We only saw two flocks of migrators. This weekend will produce some birds. The field birds your talking about. I will be there in a week to slap some of those grenies. Last year was a blast. Nothing like getting bombed by hundreds of mallards coming straight down on you. Until then I will be on the lake waiting for them to come back to water. Loose goose, thanx for the heads up on the birds. I will be waiting for them. Shoot straight. Flip

[This message has been edited by Flipnripem (edited 11-05-2003).]

[loosegoose]

Tom,

The Benson area.
I'm afraid they are going to be gone after last night's cold.

[Guest]

Thanx,
I'm hoping that enough water stayed open with the breeze last night and most of the stuff that froze should open with the high winds forcast for today.
Problem being it's sposed to get cold again tonight, but there's still sposed to be a breeze. I'm planning on having to break ice Sat morning

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>"////=<
[email protected]
N.P.A.A. # 841
www.marcum.com

[This message has been edited by Tom Herman (edited 11-06-2003).]

[SCCO9803]

I'm heading down to Rochester this weekend. Does anybody else know if the northern birds have made that far down? What a great spot to bang some honkers.